Qualitative

I collect qualitative feedback using a bare-bones questioning approach. To interpret and implement feedback accurately, I consult with professionals at the University’s Center for Teaching & Learning after collecting each round of feedback.

In general, students find my teaching well-structured, detailed, supportive, and inclusive (e.g. to non-majors). Below are some selected comments that demonstrate student perceptions about learning in my classroom.

year	what
2023	GLG 556: Economic & Environmental Mineralogy Sp2023 graduate “I learned a lot in this course about scientific communication. I really like the structure of the course and that we really had a lot of time to ingest and utilize the tools we were given. Great class with a very understanding and supportive professor! I think the structure of the course could be improved to incorporate more targeted discussion related to environmental/economic mineralogy. Potentially it would be better to limit the choice of topics for presentations and term papers in order to facilitate a more targeted approach.”
2023	GLG 456: Economic & Environmental Mineralogy Sp2023 undergraduate “I appreciate the opportunity to improve my writing and presentation skills while also learning from my peers. These are important skills to work on moving forward in my career.”
2023	GLG 111: Dynamc Earth Sp2023 undergraduate “This course was very well-organized. The professor was an excellent, engaging lecturer, and the variety of methods; lectures, in-class questions/calculations, exams, quizzes, BEEs, and homework assignments really helped solidify student understanding of course content. Weaknesses of this course were that sometimes the historical aspects of the course content felt irrelevant, as it rarely appeared as content of quizzes/homework.”
2023	GLG 111: Dynamc Earth Sp2023 undergraduate “This was the most well organized course I have ever taken at Miami. Professor Kerswell did an awesome job of always making sure students were aware of deadlines and knew what they had to know to be prepared for the material. Professor Kerswell’s passion for the topics in geology showed in the way he taught. He welcomed all questions and comments. He was very kind and I could tell he loves what he does.”
2022	GLG 211: Geochemistry of Earth Systems Fa2022 undergraduate “Taking a lot of notes and staying engaged is really important. I think the slides are really informational and helpful and the notes at the bottom of the slides are also very helpful.  The professor is also always so kind and willing to help, which is very supportive.”
2022	GLG 211: Geochemistry of Earth Systems Fa2022 undergraduate “The professor is very open to questions and making sure you understand what was covered in the lab and lecture. The professor also explains diagrams really well which is what I normally struggle the most with. My lab group works really well together and we work together to help each other understand the material which has been very useful. The review sessions are great for the exams but it feels like we run out of time to finish going over the material that could be on the exam so it might be helpful to have an additional review session.”
2022	GLG 121: Environmental Geology Fa2022 undergraduate “I find the lecture slides to be very insightful, as well as Dr. Kerswell’s enthusiasm and spread out deadlines, allowing me to feel comfortable with the content before assessment and moving on. Overall, I really enjoy this class. I was hesitant since I am a non-major and I am not a science person. But Dr. Kerswell is fantastic, enthusiastic and is very understanding and flexible. He is a nice breath of fresh air compared to my other professors.”
2022	GLG 121: Environmental Geology Fa2022 undergraduate “How the course is being taught is very helpful. Instead of just reading off of the slides, you go into depth about everything on them. The care and attention to the information we are given is so helpful.”
2022	GLG 121: Environmental Geology Fa2022 undergraduate “I really like the format of the course in that all lectures are found online with corresponding chapters and assignments. I also like that I am able to work on assignments at my own pace, since some of my weeks are busier than others. I also think that your Canvas set up with the chart of material and assignments is really efficient. It’s nice that your lectures correspond with the textbook material and offer more details, and opportunities for questions or comments. Honestly I really do like both your lectures and format of your class. As a Poli Sci major, I was a little nervous to take a STEM course since my strengths lie in the humanities. However, I am glad I took the course because I find it interesting and accessible to complete and feel confident about.”

Professional peer-review

I invite reviewers to assess my teaching during instruction. Reviewers may also gather information from students privately to to evaluate their honest perceptions. Below is a summary of reviewer comments.

year

what

2020

GEOS 314: Structural Geology Sp2020 Prof. Matthew Kohn BSU “Buchanan Kerswell was viewed as an excellent instructor, indeed one student described GEOS 314 as the ‘best graduate student-led class they had ever had at BSU’. Students especially appreciated how the layout of the class was explained early and maintained through the first half of the semester, and they looked forward to the rest of the class. Other features of the class on which they commented favorably: 1) the use of [sketching & learning] portfolios, 2) how exam questions were taken directly from the portfolio, 3) the practice in professional sketching, 4) the dedication of the instructor, 5) the clarity of explanation from the instructor. Overall, the instructor is doing an outstanding job, especially considering that this is the first time he has taught a complete class. In comparison with faculty in our department, I would rate the quality of instruction as well above average (and our faculty receive some of the highest ratings on campus). While the class could use some tweaking, there is little room for improvement, both in the content and structure of the class, or in the expertise of the instructor. If a faculty member is not available to teach the class, I would strongly urge our department to hire him again. Such high quality instruction is rare.”